Gillnet Tag Order Form

Special Instructions for Gillnet Vessel Owners
General gillnet vessel designation and tagging requirements:
A vessel owner electing to fish with gillnet gear in the Northeast (NE) multispecies or monkfish
fisheries must complete a gillnet tag form. All vessels issued a limited access NE multispecies
permit in Categories A, E, or F which fish with gillnet gear must obtain an annual designation as
either a Day or Trip gillnet vessel. Declarations are to be made on a form provided by the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and signed by the vessel owner or an authorized
representative of the vessel. This form is enclosed. It can also be obtained by calling the
Northeast Regional Permit Office at (978) 282-8438, or through the Northeast Regional Office’s
web site: http://www.nero.noaa.gov/permits/forms.html.
All NE multispecies Category A, E, and F Day gillnet vessels fishing for NE multispecies and/or
vessels fishing under a monkfish DAS using gillnet gear must tag their gillnets with BLUE
gillnet tags. Vessels must indicate the number of gillnet tags that are being requested on the
gillnet tag form provided by NMFS and provide a check for the cost of the tags, if appropriate.
Once a declaration form has been received, NMFS will send a gillnet tag certificate and category
designation form (one form) to the vessel owner that serves as written confirmation from the
Regional Administrator that the vessel is a Day or Trip gillnet vessel. This confirmation must be
retained on board the vessel when fishing under a NE multispecies Category A, E, or F permit
with gillnet gear.
Vessels with a NE multispecies Category A, E, or F permit are limited to 150 gillnet tags.
Vessels with a Monkfish Category C, D, F, G, or H permit with a limited access NE multispecies
permit are also limited to 150 tags. Vessels with Monkfish Category A or B permits are limited
to 160 gillnet tags. A vessel may have tags on board the vessel that are in excess of the number
of tags corresponding to the allowable number of nets for a given Regulated Mesh Area (RMA),
provided such tags are available for immediate inspection. Vessels participating in a NE
multispecies sectors may have different gillnet requirements. If participating in a NE
multispecies sector, please reference your Letter of Authorization or contact your sector manager
for complete details of your sector’s exemptions.
A gillnet vessel may stow additional nets on board that are in excess of the allowable nets for a
given RMA. Day gillnet vessels may stow up to 150 nets, including the number of deployed
nets. Trip gillnet vessels are not restricted to the number of nets that can be stowed on board the
vessel. All nets in excess of the allowable number of nets for a given RMA must be stowed
according to the regulations.
General gillnet gear requirements: For purposes of gillnet gear requirements, gillnets are
defined as follows:
•
•

Roundfish gillnet: A gillnet constructed with floats on the float line and no tie-down
twine between the float line and the lead line.
Flatfish gillnet: A gillnet constructed with no floats on the float line, or with floats on
the float line and that has tie-down twine between the float line and the lead line not more
than 48 inches in length and spaced not more than 15 feet apart.

Special Instructions for Gillnet Vessel Owners - continued

Vessels fishing under the Large Mesh DAS program using gillnets:
Vessels that hold a valid limited access NE multispecies Large Mesh Individual DAS category
(Category F) permit must fish with nets having a mesh size that is 2.0 inches larger than the
current regulated mesh size when fishing under the NE multispecies DAS program.

Gillnet Tag Series for Fishing Years 2004-2011
The current gillnet tag series (BLUE in color) will remain valid through the
2011fishing year (May 1, 2011 – April 30, 2012), unless otherwise notified.
Previously issued teal green gillnet tags are no longer valid.
Current Gillnet Regulations
A summary of the current gillnet gear requirements is contained in the table below. Vessels
participating in a NE multispecies sector may be exempt from certain gillnet regulations that are
in the table below. If participating in a NE multispecies sector, please reference your Letter of
Authorization or contact your sector manager for complete details of your sector’s exemptions.
Gear Restrictions for the NE Multispecies FMP by Regulated Mesh Areas.
Gulf of Maine
NE Multispecies
Day Gillnet
Category*

Roundfish nets
6.5" (16.5 cm) mesh;
50-net allowance;
2 tags/net
Flatfish nets
6.5" (16.5 cm) mesh;
100-net allowance;
1 tag/net

NE Multispecies
Trip Gillnet
Category*
Monkfish Vessels**

All nets
6.5" (16.5 cm) mesh

Georges Bank

Southern New
England

All nets
6.5" (16.5 cm)
mesh;
50-net
allowance;
2 tags/net

All nets
6.5" (16.5 cm)
mesh;
75-net
allowance;
2 tags/net

All nets
6.5" (16.5 cm)
mesh

All nets
6.5" (16.5 cm)
mesh

10" (25.4 cm) mesh/150-net allowance
1 tag/net

* When fishing under NE multispecies regulations
** Monkfish Category C and D vessels, when fishing under a monkfish DAS

Mid-Atlantic
Roundfish nets
6.5" (16.5 cm) mesh;
75-net allowance;
2 tags/net
Flatfish nets
6.5" (16.5 cm) mesh;
75-net allowance;
2 tags/net

All gillnet gear
6.5" (16.5 cm) mesh

Gillnet Tag form must be completed if your vessel will be fishing with gillnets with a Northeast
(NE) Multispecies Category A, E or F permit; or fishing under a Monkfish DAS during the
2011 fishing year (May 1, 2011-April 30, 2012).

•
•

If you have a limited access NE multispecies permit or a limited access NE multispecies permit and a limited
access monkfish permit, you must fill out Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3 .
If you have a limited access monkfish permit only (and no limited access multispecies permit), you must fill
out Section 2 and Section 3.

Section 1 - Limited access NE multispecies Category A, E or F permit holders who intend to use gillnet gear must
declare into one of the following gillnet category designations by selecting one of the following two categories with
a check mark: (please read the “Special Instructions to Gillnet Vessel Owners” if you do not know which
category you should choose)

Trip Gillnet Category ________

or

Day Gillnet Category ________

Section 2
All gillnet vessel owners must utilize BLUE gillnet tags. If you don’t currently possess BLUE gillnet tags, you
must purchase them. Please indicate how many tags that you wish to purchase by filling out the following
information.
Number of tags requested
. (Multispecies tags are limited to 150, Monkfish tags are limited to
160 for Category A and B vessels, 150 for Monkfish Category C, D, F, G, or H vessels with a limited access NE
multispecies permit. The BLUE gillnet tags cost $1.20 each. (NOTE: An additional shipping and handling charge
of $5.00 must be included for orders of 20 or less tags.) (NOTE: The total cost for 150 tags is $180.00.)
Total amount enclosed $_________________________________________
Name and Address _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Phone Number ________________________________________________
Please make checks payable to National Band and Tag Company and complete Section 3 below.
Initial Tags will be shipped to you directly from the tag manufacturer
Section 3
Vessel Name
Documentation #
or State Registration #
Signature
Date

Federal Permit # ________________________
Gillnet tags will be used to fish for:
Multispecies (circle) Yes No
Monkfish
(circle) Yes No

Please call the NMFS Northeast Regional Office information line at (978) 281-9278 if you have any questions.
Form revised on January 7, 2011

Return this form and payment to:
NMFS Permits Office, Gillnet Program
55 Great Republic Drive
Gloucester, MA 01930-2276
OMB Control # 0648-0202
OMB Expiration Date 04/30/2013

The information will be used in the management of the NE multispecies and monkfish fisheries.
One of the regulatory steps taken by NOAA Fisheries to carry out the conservation and management
objectives of these fishery management plans is limiting fishing vessel effort. The application to
designate a gillnet category and order gillnet tags is meant to allow industry members to designate
their appropriate gillnet category and order the appropriate number of gillnet tags in accordance with
50 CFR 648.4(c)(2)(iii) and 648.80(a)(3)(iv), 648.80(a)(4)(iv), 648.80(b)(2)(iv), and
648.80(b)(2)(v). Since this requirement has been adopted as part of the effort reduction programs
under the NE Multispecies and Monkfish Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) it is viewed as
consistent with the conservation goals of these FMPs.
BURDEN STATEMENT: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to
average 5 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or suggestions for reducing this burden
to: Patricia A. Kurkul, Regional Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930-2276; and to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503.
The information collected on this form is not confidential and can be made available to the general
public.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to respond to nor shall a person be
subject to penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements
of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a current valid OMB
Control Number.

Section 1 - Limited access NE multispecies Category A, E or F permit holders who intend to use gillnet gear must
declare into one of the following gillnet category designations by selecting one of the following two categories with
a check mark: (please read the “Special Instructions to Gillnet Vessel Owners” if you do not know which
category you should choose)

Trip Gillnet Category ________

or

Day Gillnet Category ________

Section 2
All gillnet vessel owners must utilize BLUE gillnet tags. If you don’t currently possess BLUE gillnet tags, you
must purchase them. Please indicate how many tags that you wish to purchase by filling out the following
information.
. (Multispecies tags are limited to 150, Monkfish tags are limited to
Number of tags requested
160 for Category A and B vessels, 150 for Monkfish Category C, D, F, G, or H vessels with a limited access NE
multispecies permit. The BLUE gillnet tags cost $1.20 each. (NOTE: An additional shipping and handling charge
of $5.00 must be included for orders of 20 or less tags.) (NOTE: The total cost for 150 tags is $180.00.)
Total amount enclosed $_________________________________________
Name and Address _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Phone Number ________________________________________________
Please make checks payable to National Band and Tag Company and complete Section 3 below.
Initial Tags will be shipped to you directly from the tag manufacturer
Section 3
Vessel Name
Documentation #
or State Registration #
Signature
Date

Federal Permit # ________________________
Gillnet tags will be used to fish for:
Multispecies (circle) Yes No
Monkfish
(circle) Yes No